The ‘Joker’ Movie With Joaquin Phoenix Is Officially Happening

The 500th Joker movie is now officially happening. We’ve been hearing about the Joaquin Phoenix Joker origin story for a while now, so much that it seemed like things were already locked down. But news has arrived to confirm that no, it’s not another Joaquin Phoenix hoax, and now it’s officially official.

Despite Phoenix acting like has no idea what the heck this whole Joker movie is in interviews, Warner Bros. has now greenlit the project, according to The Hollywood Reporter. The Joker origin story comes from TheHangover director Todd Phillips, and will be wholly different from what we’ve seen from the rest of the DCEU (thank lord). It’ll be separate from the million Jared Leto Joker projects in the works, and is set to start shooting this fall for a 2019 release.

Here’s what we know so far. The Phillips project is now being described as an “exploration of a man disregarded by society [that] is not only a gritty character study, but also a broader cautionary tale.” Interesting. THR also notes that it’ll be closer to a crime drama, as well as “darker and more experimental in tone and content.” The studio plans to release the standalone movie under a new, separate DC Films banner (possibly named DC Dark or DC Black), it’ll have a budget in the $55 million rage – remarkably less than most franchise films – and take some inspiration from Martin Scorsese‘s The King of Comedy. Scorsese was previously attached as an executive producer, and there were rumors Robert De Niro would have a role, but the latest report includes no mention of either.

On one hand, it’s refreshing that this project sounds so unlike anything else in the DCEU so far. The idea of an actor as ridiculously talented as Phoenix playing a Batman villain is as bizarre as can be (just please please don’t make him look like Leto), but if this does veer more into crime drama territory it could be interesting. It could also be a total disaster, which the DCEU is no stranger to. It’s of course just one of many other Joker projects in the works at the studio. There’s still the fact that Leto will make us suffer reprise his green-haired villain in Suicide Squad 2 and in his very own solo Joker movie. We get the movies we deserve, I guess.